Fish Tales
by Ame-Chama
Summary: AU. Zero is a merman, who has harbored a secret crush on Princess Yuki for years. When he finds out that she has been engaged to Prince Kaname Kuran, he seeks help from Shizuka, the sea witch. Zeki. Zero's a purty mermaid. ;o You know you want to read it
1. Prologue

Title: Fish Tales

Pairing: ZeroXYuuki; minor KanameXYuuki

Warnings: Violence and death. Yay!

Summary: Zero is a merman, who has harbored a secret crush on Princess Yuuki Cross for years. When he finds out that she has been engaged to Prince Kaname Kuran, he seeks help from Shizuka, the sea witch. He has to win Yuuki's heart in a week or he'll lose both her and himself. Zero's a purty mermaid. ;o You know you wanna read it. Zeki.

Disclaimer: -Insert witty comment about how I don't own Vampire Knight here-

A/N: Yay! :3 Zero's a pretty mermaid! Anywho... This idea has been rolling around in my head for weeks, so I was finally like: "Fine! I'll write a multi-chapter fic about it! D:" Yeah... First multi-chapter fanfiction with Vampire Knight. -Waves flag- And before you ask about my oh-so "original" idea, no, I didn't steal it from the extras in the manga. D: I got this idea before I got caught up with the manga.

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**Prologue**

A young Zero Kiryuu's eyes opened to darkness. His moonstone hair, pale skin, and silvery fish tail contrasted deeply with the dark, rolling waters around him.

"Where am I?" he questioned weakly, looking up to scan his surroundings. As soon as he moved his head, pain shot through it. He groaned, his hands immediately rushing up to grasp it as if that would dull the aching. He floated in that position for a while, just hoping for the pain to pass. Soon it began to dissipate and with a clear mind, the merboy's memories came flooding back. Ichiru. A shark. Defending his brother. Getting slammed into a rock. Falling. Plummeting into the darkest depths of the undersea crevice.

Zero's eyes widened. What the hell was he doing just sitting here? He had to help Ichiru. Without his aid, his sickly brother would surely be eaten by that monster. The merboy kicked his flippers and sprang upward with new resolve, determination flaring in his eyes. Although, what chance did Zero, a mere child of 12 years old, have against a great white shark? However, Zero was not using logic or thinking in general. All he knew was that he had to save his younger brother. Perhaps if he distracted the shark long enough, Ichiru would at least survive.

Gaining speed as more light enveloped him, the edge of the undersea canyon was now in sight. Once he made it out of the valley, only a flat expanse of sand and the occasional boulder greeted him. No shark. No Ichiru.

A mixture of emotions surged through Zero's heart - fear, panic, anger, sadness, and guilt. Of course. What had he expected? He had probably been unconscious for hours, and Ichiru was most likely dead. Invisible tears fell from lavender orbs, mingling with the already salty water. His brother was dead, and it was all because he hadn't been strong enough to defend him. How would he ever be able to tell his parents?

Zero's eyes traced the flawless sea bottom, searching for some clue to prove him wrong. Ichiru _had _to be alive. He could feel it. Unfortunately, the only thing Zero found was a spear he had used to try to fight off the shark. Picking it up, he began his journey home, swimming quickly in order to burn off some mental anguish. As he neared the underwater abode, a piercing shriek met his ears followed by a familiar male voice's cry for help. His eyes widened, one word forming in his mind, Ichiru. He willed his fins to kick faster, racing to get within sight of the Kiryuu's residence.

Zero swam over an underwater hill and surveyed the chaos playing out in the family's front yard. On a normal day, he would have been greeted by clear water and a beautiful structure made entirely of white coral. It had grown into a huge clumped dome long ago with only one hole large enough for merpeople to squeeze through and a few smaller holes that the Kiryuus had used as windows. The edifice was impenetrable when it came to most predators, but it stood no chance against the strength of a great white.

The once transparent liquid that normally surrounded the coral home was cloudy with blood, and the Kiryuu's shelter was now filled with numerous large holes and cracks. In front of the home, he saw his father trying to fight off the shark with a spear similar to the one that Zero held, except it was larger and the head was made up of a strong, jagged rock instead of an easily breakable seashell. His mother was trying to force Ichiru back into the safety of the coral, although the building was losing its integrity.

"I want to help! And Zero's still out there!" cried out the younger twin, struggling against his mother.

"You can't! You're too sick, and you can barely pass those defense classes at merschool! Let us take care of this," argued the mother.

"But Zero-" protested Ichiru.

"Will be fine! Go inside," instructed his mom with a glare.

Zero's heart soared with joy, knowing that his brother was alive. He was so excited that he forgot about the shark, and stupidly shouted. "Mom! Ichiru!"

They looked up, and unfortunately, so did the shark. It abandoned its battle with the father of the Kiryuu family and sped towards Zero. Huge jaws with rows and rows of sharp, deadly, white teeth stared him in the face. His stomach did back-flips at the sight. The elder twin floated there, motionless, too scared to move. His brain was screaming to swim, but his flippers refused to obey. Unable to watch his own death play out in such a gruesome fashion, he shut his eyes and braced himself for the pain of death, but it never came.

Hearing a sickening crunch, lavender orbs automatically shot open. The water was stained completely blood red. The putrid water clogged his gills, and that _horrible_ taste of rusty salt filled his mouth. He stared at his father for a moment, who simply smiled sadly at him. "Go," he uttered, as the man's abdomen totally split apart from his hips. As the shark gnawed on the tail fin portion of what had once been his father, Zero snapped back to reality.

He repressed the urge to gag and swam passed the shark, who was still making a meal out of the the head of the Kiryuu family. Ichiru had stopped fighting against their mother due to a mixture of shock and fright, and allowed himself to be shoved inside with Zero racing in behind him.

The mother stood in the alcove, looking at her children for the last time. She knew what she had to do to save them. "Listen... Once that shark is done..." Her face grew pale and gulped before going on, realizing that it was chewing on her _husband_. "Feeding. He won't leave until we come out, so I'm going to try to lure him away."

"You can't!" the twins shouted in unison, an identical pair of purple-hued eyes staring up at her. At this, she burst into invisible tears, hugging them both and smothering their silvery heads with kisses.

"I have to..." she replied bravely. She turned her back to her sons so they would not see the look of pure terror that was on her face. "As soon as I lead him away, I want you two to swim as far away as you can. And Zero?" she added, her voice cracking with emotion. "Take care of your brother."

With that, she swam out the door and threw a rock at the shark. She shouted things at the over-sized fish that the twins couldn't hear as they stared out the window, waiting for a chance to escape. Zero tried to concentrate on the task at hand, trying not to remember the crimson waters and his father's entrails that pepper it, trying not to think that his father's death was all his fault, trying not to know that his mother was about to sacrifice herself.

The twins watched as the undersea carnivore rounded on their mother, mouth hanging open, and dropping what remained of their father. The mermaid tried to plaster a smirk onto her face, but it only looked like a more twisted version of fear. She yelled some more unheard words, racing in the opposite direction of the coral home.

"Let's go," Zero muttered, grabbing Ichiru's hand and leading him out the door. The younger twin whimpered, allowing Zero to drag him through the scarlet waters. Once they had left the safety of the building, they swam as fast as their flippers would allow. Zero looked back once, and only once, seeing a fresh cloud of blood in the water. Their mother was dead. He closed his eyes, trying not to cry for the second time that day, and attempted to swim faster than he was already going.

"Zero, what are--" Ichiru started, beginning to turn his head.

"Don't look," the elder twin ordered with such severity and uncharacteristic frigidness that the younger Kiryuu automatically faced forward again. Suddenly, the twins felt a tug in opposite directions.

"An undersea current!" shouted Ichiru, grabbing hold of Zero's hand tighter. "Don't let go!"

The two Kiryuus struggled against the ocean flow, trying their hardest to stay together. Despite their endeavors, their under-developed fins were too weak to fight against the raging waters for long. An adult merperson might have been able to get out of the current, but its strength was no match for two merchildren. Slowly, their hands slipped apart until the two brothers were completely disengaged.

"ZERO!" Ichiru yelled, trying to grasp at his hand, but felt nothing but water.

"ICHIRU!" cried Zero, almost at the same time, his hand still reaching towards his brother. The two continued to shout as the current drove them farther and farther away from each other. Zero kept screaming even when his twin was out of sight. He opened his mouth to call out Ichiru's name one last time when a rock that had been caught in the stream, hit him on the head. Once again, Zero Kiryuu fell into unconsciousness.

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A/N: Yay! 3 Now Zero has an excuse to be his jerkish, angsty, emo self that we all know and love. :3 Since I couldn't turn him into a vampire... Yet. So yeaaahhhhh... Well, I plan to update at least once a week until summer ends, but I won't be able to update next week because I'm gonna be on vacation. Don't worry, though. You'll get two chapters the next time I update (I hope). Review, please? As usual, constructive criticism is loved and praise gives me warm fuzzies! ;D Till then...

_Next chapter's potential title:_ **Am I dead, angel? Because I must be in heaven!**


	2. Chapter 1: Am I Dead, Angel?

Title: Fish Tales

Pairing: ZeroXYuuki; minor KanameXYuuki

Warnings: Violence and death in the first chapter. More violence in later chapters?

Summary: Zero is a merman, who has harbored a secret crush on Princess Yuuki Cross for years. When he finds out that she has been engaged to Prince Kaname Kuran, he seeks help from Shizuka, the sea witch. He must win Yuuki's heart in a week or he'll lose both her and himself. Zero's a purty mermaid. ;o You know you wanna read it. Zeki.

Disclaimer: -Insert witty comment about how I don't own Vampire Knight here-

A/N: Hi. This was originally supposed to be part of the prologue, but I was lazy. :D And I thought it'd be more dramatic if I left off right where Zero and Ichiru got separated. Oh! And I know I promised two chapters, but I lied. :D Sorry. Like I said, I'm VERY lazy, and I wrote barely anything on vacation. xD

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**Chapter 1 - Am I dead, angel? Because I must be in heaven!**

It was sunrise. Purple clouds floated above, dividing the sky in half. One side was light blue, the other was stained yellowish orange. Princess Yuuki was taking her usual morning stroll down the beach. The most pleasurable part of her day was feeling the sand between her toes and the wind flowing through her long, brown hair. She sighed, contently, eyes gazing at the cascading waves.

In the distance, she saw a strip of land belonging to a neighboring kingdom, Prince Kaname Kuran's, in fact. She greatly admired her fellow ruler, who seemed to be only two years older than her. Today, she had heard talk of a possible betrothal to him. Yuuki couldn't say she wasn't happy about that. He was good-looking, kind, polite, and she adored the way he treated his people. To add to that, she had had a crush on him ever since she was five, but something about the thought of marriage made her nervous. Maybe it was the fact that she'd officially be queen, or perhaps it was because he was such a respected ruler. She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear her thoughts. Why was she worrying? She wouldn't have to marry anyone for a few years.

Her gaze returned to the ocean. In the midst of the turquoise water, she spotted something that shimmered silver in the early sun. She walked closer to the shore line, chocolate eyes squinting. Her eyebrows shot up and disappeared into her bangs. It was a boy, _and_ he was unconscious. Forgetting that she was a princess and all of the apprehension that went with it, she rushed in to save him. Slowly, she dog-paddled towards the unknown boy, conserving her strength for the task of dragging him back to shore. Grabbing hold of his shoulder, she towed him towards dry land, grimacing and thankful that the current was steering them in that direction anyway. Sopping wet, she stumbled onto shore, hauling half of him out of the water before collapsing next to him. The young brunette glanced over at the silver haired male to see if he was breathing. She gasped, astonished at what she saw.

"Scales!" she cried out without thinking. Instead of pale legs or some sort of garment, the strange boy's lower body was a silver fin.

Seemingly out of nowhere, her father appeared behind her. "Yuuuuuki! I heard you scream! What's the matter!?!" Kaien Cross, shouted out, over-dramatically flailing his arms in the air.

"Your high- I mean, father, I saw this boy floating near shore, and I thought he was unconscious, but look," she explained, pointing to Zero's shimmering sea tail.

The king's expression transformed into a serious one as he grasped his chin in thought. Silently, he kneeled next to the boy's fin, still partly in the water. Soon the man stood up, nodding to himself. "Yes, just as I thought. He's a merman."

Zero's eyes remained closed, listening to the muffled voices of the girl and the man. He had been awake for only a few seconds, but he could tell he wasn't underwater. The feeling of the cool ocean breeze on his flesh was foreign to him, as well as the unnatural brightness that was noticeable even when his eyes were closed.

"A merman?" Yuuki questioned, her brown orbs wide with curiosity. She too knelt next to the stranger, studying his human torso before her eyes trailed down to the tailfin and into the water. She had sometimes heard sailors speak of merfolk, but had always assumed that they were legends.

King Kaien looked down at his daughter, regaining his hyperactivity. "Don't be frightened of him, my dear daughter! Merfolk don't bite!" he cried, and with that, he pushed her closer to Zero. Unfortunately, the young girl lost her balance and fell on top of the merboy.

Zero's eyes shot open as he felt the sudden weight on his chest. He grunted due to a mixture of pain and surprise, and stared up at the thing that had fallen on him. Dark brown orbs met lavender, both wide with shock.

"Sorry!" Yuuki squeaked, rolling off his pale chest.

Zero gazed at the human, mouth agape, yet remaining silent. Suddenly, the memories of the shark attack came flooding back. He tore his eyes away from the girl and focused on the white sand. The atrocities automatically seemed to replay in his mind, and immediately afterward, the realizations sunk in. His parents were dead. His brother was missing. His house was destroyed. He had _nothing_.

Yuuki noticed the sorrowful expression on his face and started to grow worried. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

Zero glanced at her, but said nothing. He wasn't too keen on discussing his losses with two complete strangers.

"Can't... Can't you talk?" the brunette asked curiously. Zero slowly nodded.

"Well, what's your name? I'm Yuuki," she said, sending him a soft, comforting smile.

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. Surely, telling them his name would do no harm. "Zero Kiryuu."

"Oh! You're one of Yagari's students, aren't you?" asked Kaien, recognizing the family name.

The merboy's vision shifted to the king. "How you know Master?" he questioned quietly. Touga Yagari had been the teacher of self-defense at merschool. The ocean was a dangerous place, after all.

A huge grin crossed the ruler's face. "Why, we're gay lovers, of course!"

The two children stared up at the king, stunned, and a little bit fearful. Zero was now more traumatized than he already was. Images of his teacher and the king making sweet, gay love would haunt his dreams for years to come.

"You better be joking about that, Cross," a gruff voice warned from behind them.

The three turned to look out at the sea. In the shallow waters near the beach, a man's torso bobbed up and down, but both Zero and Kaien knew a black fish tail was hidden beneath the waves. His blue eyes were focused, glaring at Kaien Cross.

"Of course, I am," cried the king, waving his hand dismissively. His happy-go-lucky smile remained on his face, unfazed by the merman's attitude. "So, Touga, to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"

The raven-haired man's gaze shifted to Zero. Sorrow, maybe even an apologetic look, could be seen in his eyes. "The Kiryuus are dead. I stopped by their house, and it was in ruins. I saw the bodies of the parents, but not the twins, so I came here to see if they had washed up on shore. Looks like one did."

Zero stared at the ground again, bangs covering tear-filled eyes. Only Yuuki was close enough to notice the few stray drops that fell from his face and darkened the sand as Yagari explained what he had found. The young girl's heart felt a lurch of pity towards the merboy. She longed to touch him and comfort him. The only thing that prevented her was the look he had first given her. It had seemed that he would have fallen to pieces then, and now he was _crying_.

"Ah, I see," King Cross replied, sending a sympathetic glance towards Zero.

"Zero, do you know where your brother is?" asked Yagari after he had finished.

"No. We got separated," Zero replied, his voice quivering a little, but otherwise, not betraying any emotion.

"Hn... Do you have anywhere to stay?" the black-tailed merman questioned.

The merboy shook his head, bangs still concealing lavender orbs.

"Well, I guess you'll have to stay with me for now," Touga sighed. "Come on."

Zero watched as his master turned back to sea. He started to follow when he felt a hand grasp his.

"Zero, wait!" His eyes automatically jumped to their intertwined fingers, and then the voice's owner. Yuuki stared at him for a moment, hesitating a little. "I'm sorry..."

The silver-haired male gazed back at the brunnette for a moment before tearing his hand from her grasp. Saying nothing, he followed Touga out to the ocean. Even when they were far from he shore and Yuuki's touch, Zero still felt the warmth of her palm in his.

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A/N: Wow. The ending was cornball city, huh? :D Review now, please? Constructive criticism and praise are loved. :3 Flames will be used to dry my socks. Oh, and I apologize if that hint at TougaXKaien somehow offended anyone. xD If you don't like it, don't worry. I think that's the last you'll see of it.

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This is just a rant about what I was spazzing out about during this chapter, and honestly has no importance. :3 It includes a spoiler to the anime/manga though, so be careful. I was worried about the paragraph that talked about Yuuki's feeling of being betrothed to Kaname. I knew I wanted her to have a hint of doubt about it, but I still wanted to capture the way she felt about Kaname when she was younger. D: I think I failed, though. In this, I couldn't make them as close because Kaname doesn't visit her as much, since they live miles apart. I still haven't decided if I'm going to make them related, either. D: Oh well. Screw developing Kaname and Yuuki's relationship. They aren't the main pairing of this fanfiction anyway. D Seriously, though. What do you guys think? Should Kaname and Yuuki still be related... Somehow? xD Well, I'm off to watch some Higurashi. :3 Bye, bye!


	3. Chapter 2: InterSpecies Bonding

Title: Fish Tales

Pairing: ZeroXYuuki; minor KanameXYuuki

Warnings: Violence and death in the first chapter. More violence in later chapters?

Summary: Zero is a merman, who has harborred a secret crush on Princess Yuuki Cross for years. When he finds out that she has been engaged to Prince Kaname Kuran, he seeks help from Shizuka, the sea witch. He must win Yuuki's heart in a week or he'll lose both her and himself. Zero's a purty mermaid. ;o You know you wanna read it. Zeki.

Disclaimer: -Insert witty comment about how I don't own Vampire Knight here-

**Chapter 2 - Inter-Species Bonding**

It had been a few months since the day of the shark attack, and there still hadn't been any sign of Ichiru. Things in Zero's life seemed to have regained some aspect of normality. He still attended school, he still did chores, and he still retained the same hobbies and habits. However, everyone around him noticed a significant change in his behavior. He had become withdrawn, only speaking when spoken to. Perhaps he had become even a little bit cold or cruel. His former friends noticed a growing acid tongue and were pushed away by his change in attitude. Only Touga put up with Zero because surprise, surprise, the Kiryuus had named him the godfather of Zero and Ichiru in their will.

It wasn't like Zero had planned to become this way. He had just felt so empty after everything had sunk in. Maybe things would've been different if Ichiru was still around. Maybe things would've been different if he hadn't seen his father get ripped apart in front of him. Maybe things would've been different if he didn't blame himself. Maybe thing would've been different if he could have fulfilled his mother's last wish - "take care of him, Zero". Maybe he would've been able to pick up the pieces.

It was at times like this that he resented himself for being the only one alive, and usually, going for a swim was the only way to clear his thoughts. He usually just let his fins lead him wherever they pleased, and he'd turn back whenever he stopped recognizing his surroundings. However, today was different. Today he just didn't care, and that's how _she_ reentered his life. Perhaps if he hadn't lost the will to live that day, this whole story would have never occurred.

Zero's wanderings had lead him to unnaturally shallow waters. Instinct told him that he should turn back and retreat into deeper waters, but curiosity got the better of him. Could this really be the place that he had met that girl on that horrible day? He was surprised that he had even remembered her after all that had happened.

The silver finned merboy allowed his head to break the surface of the water. He peered around cautiously and inched closer to shore, the majorty of his torso still hidden beneath the waves. Unlike when he'd first woken up on land, the sky was painted a myriad of different colors, not just light blue and orange. Today's sunrise was absolutely spectacular. Different shades of violet, magenta, azure, burnt sienna, and blood red made theirr way across the sky, changing shades slightly every few minutes.

Lavender orbs scanned the shoreline for a certain brunette, but saw nothing. How stupid. What were the chances of seeing her again? Why did he even care? Girls should be the farthest thing from his mind, especially human ones. He was about to pull his head back underwater when he saw a figure in the distance with long, flowing brown hair. Zero's heart nearly stopped in his chest, partly from shock and partly from fear. What exactly had he been planning to do if he'd seen her? He wondered why he even cared. Maybe it was because her so-called father was so strange. Yeah! That was it. That guy was way too strange to be her biological father, and she _had _started to call him "your highness" at one point. He had to make sure she was still alive. Yeeeaaah... That was _definitely_ the reason.

With that rationalized, he swam closer to the girl. There she was, walking down the beach towards him. Her hair and her child-like female figure was bathed in blood red with the morning glow. Unbeknownst to the two preteens, it was like some sort of ghastly premonition. Craning his head, the merboy tried to get a better glimpse of the human without revealing too much of himself. He waited until she was close enough for him to see her face clearly before turning back towards the ocean. Yes. She was absolutely fine. Time to go. He rose up for a second, bringing his full human torso out of the water._ Splash!_ His silver fish tail smacked against the water as he dove.

"Zero!?!" the girl cried out just before his ears were submerged. He groaned and resurfaced when he heard the girl's voice.

"What?" he asked, his tone holding a hint of annoyance. The smile she had had on her face when she recognized him flipped into a frown.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she replied, casting her eyes downward. She felt a little bit guilty for annoying him.

"I'm fine," Zero snapped, turning his back to her and preparing to reattempt his dive. What was he doing? The only reason he had bothered to come to the surface was to see her, and now he was driving her away like everyone else in his life.

"Oh, okay," Yuuki replied, brown orbs still locked on her feet.

He let out a sigh and swallowed his pride. "Look, I'm sorry. Things have just been so different since my parents died. I gues I'm just not over it."

Yuuki looked up and shook her head, flashing a forced smile. "No. Don't apologize. I understand what it's like to lose someone."

Zero blinked in confusion and turned to face her. "You do?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My mom died. The king - I mean, dad tries to raise me well by himself, but I can't imagine what losing both of your parents at the same time must be like."

Zero edged closer to her, using his hands to push himself forward against the sand because the water had gotten so shallow. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize..." he murmured, for once, embarrassed by his rudeness.

She immediately plastered another fake grin on her face, waving her hands in the front of her for emphasis. "Oh, no. It's fine! It happened a long time ago, anyway."

She waded into the shallow water, not really caring if her clothes got wet and sat down next to the boy. It was a silent for a moment, but curiosity overtook the merboy as he allowed a slightly insensitive question slip passed his lips, "How did she die?"

Yuuki pulled her knees up to her chest and folded her arms against them. Her skirt clung to her legs, soggy with seawater, but she barely noticed, seemingly lost in her memories. "Oh. She died protecting me from a group of rogues. They ambushed us on our way to visit King Cross. At first, I blamed myself for her death, but then I realized that she wouldn't want me to waste my life dwelling on what could have been done."

The silver-haired male nodded solemnly. Her speech had struck a chord with him, but it still didn't completely halt his depression. After all, Ichiru hadn't sacrificed himself, and he _knew_ he had let both him and his mother down by not staying with him. Suddenly, something clicked. He turned his head towards her, a puzzled expression on his face. "Wait. Visit King Cross? I thought he was your father."

"Oh. He's my adoptive father. Mom's previous husband, my _real_ father, died when I was just a baby. She was engaged to be married to King Cross before she died, so he took me in," the brunette explained. That must have been why she never referred to him as father.

"I'm sorry," Zero repeated with a sigh.

Once again, Yuuki shook her head. "I already told you. It's fine. I don't remember my dad, so I can't exactly 'miss' him."

The merboy nodded once again, a grave expression on his face. A natural silence settled between them, but as the seconds ticked by, it grew more and more awkward.

"Zero?" the female questioned, suddenly breaking it. "What's it like under the sea?"

The merboy glanced at her, not finding the topic too interesting. "Dark and cold," he stated, simply.

Yuuki stared at him, incredulity creeping into her tone as she pressed him for a conversation. "That's it? Where do you live? Do merfolk need to go to school?"

Zero sighed and launched into an explanation. "Well, I used to live in a house made of white coral with my parents. Now, I live with master in a cave. It's not as homey, but it's shelter." He paused briefly, then moved onto her next question. "Of course we need to go to school. There are jobs in the merworld that people need to be trained for too."

"Oh?" Yuuki questioned. The information about his houses was actually quite intriguing. "So, there aren't any houses built in the merworld? You just find places to live?"

He shook his head. "No. Some merpeople have houses built, but it's much harder to do underwater. Only the richest can afford them."

"I see," the girl stated, but quickly came up with another question, a playful smile on her face. "Is merschool as boring as human school?"

Zero allowed a grin to slip onto his face. In fact, he almost chuckled. Almost. "I don't know much about human school, but it probably is."

She giggled. "I guess it doesn't matter where you are. Sitting in a class all day is always boring."

She stood up and glanced at the sun's position in the sky. It was getting so late, but she didn't want to leave. An idea popped into her head. "Hey, Zero? Would you mind coming back here tomorrow? I'd really like to know more about your world."

The Kiryuu paused for a moment, considering it, then nodded. "Yeah. I will."

Yuuki beamed. "Great! Tomorrow, I'll tell you things about my world too. Well, I better get going. The ki- I mean, dad, might be worrying about me. See you tomorrow!"

With that said, she stood up and waded back to shore. Zero gazed at her as she broke into a run when she reached the beach, her dress dripping and pale feet coated with sand.

"Bye," he muttered, even though she was already too far away to hear him.

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A/N: Finished! Thank God. I think I unintentionally wrote this chapter in Zero's point of view. -Shrugs- Yeah. I spazzed out a lot while writing this one, but I'm too tired to care too much about it right now. Reviews are very much loved! Oh, by the way, next chapter, they will most definitely be the ages they are in the anime/manga, and a plot line will probably start to appear.


	4. Chapter 3: The Big News

Title: Fish Tales

Pairing: ZeroXYuuki; minor KanameXYuuki

Warnings: Violence and death in the first chapter. More violence in later chapters?

Summary: Zero is a merman, who has harborred a secret crush on Princess Yuuki Cross for years. When he finds out that she has been engaged to Prince Kaname Kuran, he seeks help from Shizuka, the sea witch. He must win Yuuki's heart in a week or he'll lose both her and himself. Zero's a purty mermaid. ;o You know you wanna read it. Zeki.

Disclaimer: -Insert witty comment about how I don't own Vampire Knight here- I think it's pretty friggen obvious by now that I've stolen the plot from The Little Mermaid, which I don't own. 8D Sorry for not giving credit earlier.

A/N: Hey guys. Guess what happens next week? Yeah. School starts. Due to my procrastination with summer assignments (and Sailor Moon dvds, which is why I didn't update last week) this chapter almost didn't make it out at all. I'm hoping to post another one before the irregularity of school kicks in, but I'm not making any promises.

**Chapter 3 - The Big News**

Zero showed up the following day, as promised. Again they talked about both of their worlds, learning more about each other's lives. Yuuki asked if they could see each other again, and of course, he agreed. Soon, it became an everyday occurrence, almost a tradition. Years rolled by, and they grew to be the best of friends. However, one day, their peaceful existence as shattered.

"Zero" a sixteen year old Yuuki started. "I'm getting married."

Her hair was much shorter than when they'd first met. She had traded her long, flowing hair for a much more efficient, shoulder-length cut. Her body had, of course, grown too, taller and more curvature. However, with all the changes she had gone through, she still had the same, wide, brown orbs that held child-like curiosity and innocence deep within their depths.

On the other hand, Zero had stayed mostly the same. The same silver hair styled exactly in the same way it had been on the day they had met. The same guarded, distant, lavender eyes, and the same silver fish tail, albeit slightly brighter since these were apparently his "prime years". That phrase almost made him want to snicker. If attending his penultimate year of merschool with insane, giggling mermaids was as good as it was going to get, he wasn't sure if he wanted to see the rest of his life.

In fact, the only thing that had really changed in Zero's appearance was his physique. He had become fairly well-toned due to his admirable fighting skills. In the years since his parents' death, he had risen to the top of his self-defense classes, which was probably why school seemed too have a sudden abundance of "insane, giggling mermaids". However, long ago Zero realized that there was only one female on earth for him, and she wasn't part fish.. That's why when Yuuki Cross told him the news, it seemed like a daggar had sliced through his heart.

For the first time in a long while, Zero Kiryuu was devoid of a witty, sarcastic, or smart-aleck quip. Without his brain even fully processing the word, it slipped through his mouth, "What?"

"I'm getting married," the brunette repeated, simply. She should be squealing and jumping for joy. A woman usually dreamed of marriage since they were a small girl, and announcing it to her best friend was one of the best parts. For Yuuki, the whole ordeal seemed awkward, maybe even sad. Was it because her best friend was a boy? Was it because she was so nervous? She loved Kaname. She was certain of that. She had had a crush on him for as long as she could remember. She always felt safe with Kaname, and he was always so polite and kind to her, which would usually send her into a blushing, stammering mess. Zero made her feel just as safe though... She shook her head slightly to clear out such thoughts. Zero was a friend. Of course she felt safe with him. Friends and family were suppose to make you feel that way, and none of them made her feel the way that she did when she was with Kaname. Besides, it was an arranged marriage. Everyone wanted this to be, and she wanted it too... Right?

"When? To who?" Zero asked incredulously once the initial shock had worn off.

Yuuki once again shook her head to clear away her worries. "Sorry. Could you repeat that?" she asked, sheepishly.

The merman sighed and rolled his eyes. She was spacing out _now _of all times. "When and to who?" he reiterated, much more slowly.

"Oh! Next week to Kaname Kuruan!" she exclaimed, putting a bright, happy mask back on her face.

"A-A week!?! To HIM!?!" the silver haired man shouted, eyes nearly popping out of his head. Yuuki had brought the prince to the beach once, and they had not like each other one bit. They had spent half the time sending death glares at each other. Kaname had spoken civilly to Zero, mainly (at least the merman assumed) for Yuuki's sake, but he seemed to be sending out some serious "I'm better than you" vibes all over the beach. Then, after that one meeting, the silver-haired male had been forced to endure countless rants of how kind, merciful, and polite the great "Kaname-Sama" was. Honestly, the way the girl talked about him made him sound like a god.

"Yup!" Yuuki piped up with a nod and a smile. "The marriage has been arranged for years, but it's finally going to happen next Friday! Isn't it great?"

Zero felt nauseous. For _years_? "Yeah. Great," he managed to choke out, not thinking properly again. _Years? _Years. A sudden hint of venom laced his voice. "I guess you finally get the man of your dreams."

Yuuki frowned, a blank look on her face besides the down turned lips. "Huh? Zero? What do you mean by that?" She grabbed his hand and he immediately ripped it away, much like the first time they had met.

"It's nothing. I think I'm going home for the day. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he crawled back into the sea, leaving an oblivious Yuuki staring after him.

"Zero..." she sighed. Standing up, she began the long, tedious walk back to the palace. There were wedding preparations to be made.

_____

A/N: I apologize if this is a little short, and that Yuuki's being forced to get married at sixteen. I didn't really want to bump up the ages. So... 8D I think you should review. Please?


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